This invention generally relates to a device for projecting low cost, high-resolution images from existing lighting fixtures and, more particularly, to a combination image slide holder and cooling device for projecting images printed on plastic transparencies from commercially available theatrical and architectural luminaires for extended time periods.
In typical theatrical and architectural applications, luminaires are used to direct bright or dimmed, sharp or soft-edged illumination toward a subject by focusing intense light from a high-energy lamp through its lenses. For example, luminaires may be used for spotlighting, projecting images such as logos or signs, or enhancing logos, signs, products or other goods. Four of the most common commercially available luminaires are the ETC Source Four, the Altman Shakespeare, Strand SL, and the Selecon Pacific Cool Light.
In addition to illuminating a subject, it is often desired in theatrical and architectural applications to provide a pattern or image in the light, or to change the light""s color, brightness, beam diameter or focus. To achieve such effects, luminaires typically include an accessory slot in the body of the luminaire and/or an accessory holder on the front end of the luminaire. The accessory slot may be used as a holder of metal or glass patterns, a drop-in iris, a gobo rotator or a dual gobo rotator. The front accessory holder may be used for holding color frames, glass color frames, donuts, snoots or color changers and/or combinations of accessories as required. Although some of these devices may be used to project an image from a luminaire, many of the devices are expensive to fabricate because of the materials required to withstand the heat generated by the luminaire""s lamp (for example, metal or glass), or they do not have a long use life, or they are time consuming to use. For example, many of the devices utilize metal or glass gobos etched with an image and inserted into the accessory slot. Such gobos are expensive and require specialized equipment and time to manufacture. On the other hand, when flexible film or plastic materials are used, they typically have a very short life span due to degradation from the heat of the lamp.
Some manufacturers have attempted to overcome the problems associated with projecting low-cost transparency images for extended periods of time by providing devices that utilize certain combinations of fans and filters to achieve the cooling required to prevent degradation of the image transparency. However, these devices are typically expensive stand-alone devices that were developed only for this one limited purpose and cannot be used with commercially available luminaires, for example, as a xe2x80x9cdrop-inxe2x80x9d accessory.
It is therefore a broad object of this invention to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings of known luminaire accessories and image projectors, and a more particular object of this invention to provide an improved image projector device that is easily used in combination with commercially available luminaires, and provides for easily fabricated, low cost, high-resolution images that can be used many times despite the heat generated in such luminaires that would otherwise prevent such use.
In the present invention, these objects, as well as others, are achieved by providing an image projector that drops into the accessory slot of a luminaire and comprises a cooling fan, infrared and ultraviolet light filter means, and an inexpensive and removable xe2x80x9cslide assemblyxe2x80x9d comprising a plastic image slide, a protective film slide and at least one mounting plate. The cooling fan is combined with layered, reflective filters to create a protected environment for the plastic image slide to survive the extreme heat at the gate of today""s efficient luminaires. The plastic image slide is created on a high temperature plastic base using conventional computer printing technologies, thereby allowing virtually any image to be printed on the slide. The image projector of this invention can thus project high quality images in full color and photographic detail previously available only through advanced projection systems or from expensive glass gobos.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent when the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention are considered in conjunction with the drawings which should be construed in an illustrative and not limiting sense as follows: